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Control technology for furfuryl alcohol - based systems: the furan no-bake process.

Authors

Eftax-DS

Source

Proceedings of the symposium on occupational health hazard control technology in the foundry and secondary non-ferrous smelting industries, December 10-12, 1979, Chicago, Illinois. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 81-114, 1981 Aug; :137-141

Link

NIOSHTIC No.

00175063

Abstract

Control technology for the no bake chemically bonded sand process used to produce cores and molds at room temperature was reviewed. Recommended controls and precautions for improving the quality of the workplace environment during the use of the furan (110009) foundry binder system, which uses binders based on furfuryl-alcohol (98000), were outlined. Emphasis was given to precautionary measures, controls, and personal protection during mixing, molding, coremaking, pouring, cooling, and shakeout. Foundry measurements made in the mixing areas of 40 foundries pouring from 5 to more than 100 tons of ferrous metal per day revealed the presence of furfuryl- alcohol in amounts lower than 50 parts per million (ppm), while half the breathing zone measurements showed levels lower than 5ppm. Formaldehyde (50000) concentrations for furan binders formulated with it averaged 1ppm, while the levels of toluene (108883) and benzene (71432) in the air were about 1ppm each. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure limits for these compounds were 50ppm (furfuryl-alcohol), 3ppm (formaldehyde), 200ppm (toluene), and 10ppm (benzene). Depending on the specific formulation used, decomposition products of binder systems could include carbon-dioxide (124389), carbon-monoxide (630080), hydrocarbons, formaldehyde, ammonia (7664417), hydrogen-cyanide (74908), sulfur-dioxide (7446095), and hydrogen-sulfide (7783064). The author indicates that many of the recommended controls for the no bake process may be applicable to other processes, such as the hot box, cold box, and warm box processes.